Futboll Klub Partizani, or FK Partizani for short, is an Albanian professional football club based in Tirana, that competes in the Kategoria Superiore. Founded in 1946, the club was historically affiliated to the Albanian army. Partizani's home ground is the newly built stadium at Partizani Complex. The club also uses Arena Kombëtare also known as Air Albania stadium for matches in European competitions and major domestic football derbies in Albania.
Sport in Albania revolves mostly around team sports, such as football, basketball, volleyball and handball. Other sports includes boxing, weightlifting, tennis, swimming, judo, karate, athletics, table tennis, rugby, cricket, and chess. Football in particular has seen a rapid transformation, with the Albania national football team making its debut at the 1964 UEFA European Football Championship. The national football team also qualified for the 2016 UEFA European Football Championship. Many Albanian athletes have also achieved significant success and have won European and Mediterranean titles in numerous sports during the years, such as wrestling, football, athletics and weightlifting. Albanian athletes have won a total 49 medals for Albania in 8 different Mediterranean sports. Albania has had some success in others sport such as volleyball and basketball as well.
The Qemal Stafa Stadium, named after Qemal Stafa (1920–1942), a World War II hero, was a national stadium and the largest football stadium in Tirana, Albania. Construction started in 1939 and the stadium was inaugurated in 1946 for the Balkan Cup, which was won by the Albania national football team. The stadium has been used for football matches of the Albanian Superliga and the national team, athletic events, and the six Albanian Spartakiads. Although it was enlarged in 1974 to accommodate up to 35,000 spectators, in the 1990s it became an all-seater stadium, and its capacity was reduced to 19,700.
Endri Vrapi is an Albanian retired footballer who last played as a defender for Kosovan club Liria.
The Albanian Basketball League is the men's professional basketball league in Albania. It was founded in 1946 shortly after the formation of the Albanian Basketball Association and is now divided into two divisions, the Superliga and First Division, consisting of 12 teams each. The team with the most championships is BC Partizani Tirana who have won 33 championships in total, but none since 1996.
KB Tirana are an Albanian professional basketball team based in Tiranë, which is the basketball branch of SK Tirana. They compete in the Albanian Basketball League, Liga Unike and the Balkan International Basketball League. The club plays its home domestic games at the Farie Hoti Sports Palace, and they play their international games at the Asllan Rusi Sports Palace.
Klubi i Basketbollit Prishtina, officially known as Sigal Prishtina due to sponsorship reasons, is a Kosovar professional basketball club based in Pristina.
Klubi i Basketbollit Trepça is a professional basketball club based in Mitrovicë, Kosovo. The club competes domestically in the Kosovo Basketball Superleague and Kosovo Cup and internationally in the Fiba Europe Cup. Trepça is one of the most successful clubs in Kosovo, Trepça has won 4 National Championships, 7 Kosovo Basketball Cups, 2 Kosovo Supercups and 1 Liga Unike Supercup.
The Albanian Basketball League for women is a league competition featuring professional basketball clubs from Albania. It was founded in 1946 from the Albanian Basketball Association, several days after the latter was formed. It is the top level basketball league in Albanian from its foundation. The team with the most championships is BC Tirana with 41 championships.
Endrit is an Albanian name for boys, meaning “light”. Notable people with the name include:
Elhaida Dani is an Albanian singer, songwriter, composer and actress. Born and raised in Shkodër, Dani performed in diverse singing competitions and started to play piano as a child. She rose to national recognition in the Albanian-speaking Balkans, after her victories at Star Academy Albania, Top Fest and Festivali i Këngës. In Italy, she is also prominent for being the winner of the first series of The Voice of Italy. Dani represented Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 with the song "I'm Alive", after she won the 53rd edition of Festivali i Këngës. She participated in Kënga Magjike for the first time in 2017 with the song "E Ngrirë" whereas she finished second. She rose again great popularity in Italy as well as in France upon her international acting debut in the world renowned musical of Notre-Dame de Paris.
Samir Shaptahoviç is a former Kosovo Albanian professional basketball player, who last played for Peja of the Kosovo Basketball Superleague. He was born in Bar Tivar in Montenegro in an Albanian family. He is considered one of the best players that the Kosovo Basketball Superleague ever had. He played in Kosovo Basketball Superleague and in Balkan International Basketball League.
Edmond "Edo" Azemi is a Kosovan former professional basketball player who played for KB Prishtina in Kosovo Basketball Superleague and in Balkan International Basketball League. He is ethnically Albanian. Edmond Azemi is one of the most successful players in the history of basketball in Kosovo. He started the career in Kosovo in KB Prishtina. Most of the years he played with KB Prishtina team where he made history winning 10x Kosovo Basketball superleague, 9x Kosovo Cups, 3x Kosovo Supercups and 2x Balkan League.
BC Teuta Durrës is an Albanian basketball team that plays in the Albanian Basketball Superliga, the highest division in the Albanian Basketball League. The club was founded in 1925 as part of the multi disciplinary KS Teuta Durrës.
The 2016–17 Albanian Basketball Superleague, was the 51st season of the top professional basketball league in Albania.
John Otto John, commonly known as Otto John, is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Turan Tovuz in the Azerbaijan Premier League.
The Liga Unike is a professional basketball league in Albania and Kosovo. The first inaugural season will start on 6 April 2021, and the league was praised from Turgay Demirel, president of FIBA Europe, who was present at the inauguration.
Albanian Rugby League (ARL) represents Albania in international rugby league tournaments, as well as organizes domestic competitions, and undertakes development projects. Rugby league is a new sport in Albania, which has been officially registered since 2017. The popularity of rugby league is struggling for attention in the national media. However, since the creation of the ARL national team and the introduction of Tirana Rugby Club in the Greek championship, coverage has increased with articles appearing in different rugby league official forums and newspapers.
Berkay Vardar is a Turkish professional footballer who currently plays for Süper Lig side Beşiktaş.
The 2022–23 Football Superleague of Kosovo season, also known as the ALBI MALL Superleague of Kosovo for sponsorship reasons with Albi Mall was the 24th season of top-tier football in Kosovo. The season began on 13 August 2022 and ended on 28 May 2023. A total of ten teams are competing in the league: eight teams from the 2021–22 season and two teams from the 2021–22 First Football League of Kosovo. Ballkani are the defending champions from the previous season.
